1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an inkjet recording apparatus, and more particularly to perform recording by discharging ink from a recording head on a recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
An inkjet recording apparatus performs recording by discharging ink from a recording head on a recording medium. In recent years, such an inkjet recording apparatus is rapidly spread because of advantages of low noise, low operating cost, and ease of forming a color image. However, when recording is made on a standard sheet, problems relating to initial quality, such as image blur, change in color density or color tone, or setoff, may appear. In addition, problems relating to image fastness, such as insufficiency in water resistance or weather resistance, may appear.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-103583 discloses an image recording apparatus that includes a preprocess liquid application unit including an application roller for applying preprocess liquid to a recording region of a recording medium, and an image recording unit for recording an image on the recording region of the recording medium with the preprocess liquid applied. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-103583 teaches that driving of a pair of conveyance rollers that conveys the recording medium with the preprocess liquid applied by the preprocess liquid application unit is independent from driving of the application roller. In a state of intermittent conveyance during recording, the application roller is rotationally driven at a constant speed while the driving of the application roller is independent from the driving of the pair of conveyance rollers. Hence, cockling or image-quality unevenness due to application unevenness does not appear. An application condition with the application roller is kept constant.
In addition, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-118451 discloses a configuration that, when continuous printing is performed, starts feed of a next page of recording sheets before recording of a previous page is completed to increase a throughput. The configuration disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-118451 includes an image data analysis unit that analyzes image data of the previous page during the continuous printing, and a printing time calculation unit that calculates a time necessary for printing of the previous page on the basis of the image data analysis. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-118451 discloses that a feed timing of the next page is determined on the basis of the printing time calculation result and a recording-sheet size.
Further, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-205416 discloses a configuration that, when recording has been performed on an ejected previous printing medium with a large application amount of ink per unit area, a wait time is provided so that a next printing medium does not contact the recorded region for a certain time, in order to prevent smear due to the ejected printing medium.
In the configuration that applies the preprocess liquid to the recording medium by the application roller before the recording is performed by the recording head, it is described that the feed of the next page is started before the recording of the current page is completed to increase the throughput. However, if the recording has been performed on the previous page ejected by the ejection unit before the recording of the current page with a large application amount of ink per unit area, the recording of the current page has to be occasionally interrupted. In this situation, a front edge of the precedently fed next page collides with a rear edge of the current page, possibly resulting in conveyance defect. In addition, when the application for the next page is interrupted to prevent the front edge of the next page from colliding with the rear edge of the current page, an application amount of the preprocess liquid to the next page may become uneven. An image to be recorded on the next page may be deteriorated.